Islamabad: Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday paid tributes to singing legend Lata Mageshkar, saying she has ruled the world of music for decades and the magic of her voice will live forever.
Mangeshkar, 92, died at 8.12 am on Sunday in Mumbai due to multi organ failure after over 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis, her sister Usha Mangeshkar and doctors treating her said.
"Lata Mangeshkar's death marks the end of an era in music. Lata ruled the world of music for decades and the magic of her voice will live forever," tweeted Chaudhry in a condolence message in Urdu from Beijing, where he is currently part of a delegation led by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
"Wherever Urdu is spoken and understood, there are crowds of people saying goodbye to Lata Mangeshkar," he said.
He also tweeted separately in English, saying, "a legend is no more. Lata Mageshkar was a melodious queen who ruled the world of music for decades. She was the uncrowned queen of music. Her voice shall keep ruling the hearts of people for all times to come." Her death was trending on Twitter and almost all TV channels were running the news of her death along with a potpourri of all-time hit songs.
The state-run Pakistan Television also ran the story of her death, reflecting the singer's fan following and popularity across the borders.
The singing legend was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai in early January after she tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and was also diagnosed with pneumonia.
Mangeshkar remained in the ICU for more than two weeks, following signs of marginal improvement in her health, following which the doctors treating her had taken her off the ventilator on January 28.
However, she was put on the ventilator again as her health started deteriorating from February 5 after which the team of doctors employed aggressive therapy to revive her.
